Residents hail water disconnections ruling

Sifundiso Ndlovu Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO residents have hailed a High Court ruling barring local authorities from disconnecting water supplies to force residents to pay for council services, saying the move will safeguard their health.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association advocacy and programme officer, Emmanuel Ndlovu, on Sunday said the judgment marked the beginning of a new culture where human rights are at the forefront of municipal operations.

“The ruling has acknowledged what we have been lobbying for all along. It is unfair to cut off water supplies willy-nilly basing on a bill reached through speculation. Disconnections pose a health hazard to residents,” he said.

Ndlovu said he hoped the ruling would force the Bulawayo City Council to abandon the installation of prepaid meters.
“We are happy that the ruling has clarified what our Constitution dictates. The ruling should show council that installation of water meters infringes on the basic rights of residents,” he said.

Bulawayo United Residents Association chairperson Winos Dube also welcomed the ruling saying disconnections were inhumane.
He urged local authorities to look for alternative ways of encouraging residents to pay their bills.

“Water is life and denying residents water may cause a serious health hazard so we welcome the ruling. Councils must come out with alternative means of making residents pay their dues,” said Dube.

He encouraged residents to pay their bills and not take the ruling to mean that they must not pay their bills.
“Residents must not forget their responsibility to pay their bills for councils to provide water,” said Dube.

High Court judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu last week ruled that section eight of the water bylaws which authorised councils to disconnect water for failure to pay water bills without seeking recourse from courts was unconstitutional.

Bulawayo residents owe council about $78 million and council has said the debt is affecting service delivery. Council has encouraged ratepayers to enter into payment arrangements with the local authority to settle outstanding bills.